Naoto Niidome

Finnish-Japanese designer Naoto Niidome (b.1974) is a master of detail and polished imperfection. Niidome is interested in the essentials of design, and strives to reach something completely unique. He believes that respecting the technical limitations of different materials while showcasing their various characteristics yields the best results.

Niidome studied interior architecture and fashion design at the University of Art and Design Helsinki (today’s Aalto University). His designs are influenced by two cultures and two fields of study, which are both reflected in his strong design language and his sensitivity in the use of material. He has worked extensively as an industrial designer, on projects involving furniture, fashion and packaging. Niidome’s work is characterised by a holistic mastery of a variety of themes. His exhibition architecture projects demonstrate an innate ability to include and balance elements of different scale in a built environment.

In recent years Niidome has worked at the crossroads of art and design. He uses multiple materials in his works, the essence of which often echoes some utilitarian object. His latest ceramic works are deliciously colourful sculptures, which stir the imagination by evoking a utopian miniature world.